Again Behold the Stars
by Taattosbt
Summary: The Goa'uld Empire is crumbling and the past comes back to haunt the System Lords. Yu stands alone against Anubis, Ba'al faces his inner demons, and Hades seeks vengeance for Persephone. In the end the, life changes everyone. Even gods. Continuation of "One Piece Left." Begins in 5.15 "Summit." Characters change with chapter.
1. In the midway of this, our mortal life

"_Note them, Jerren. Our future allies._"

Daniel marveled that, after all these years, Goa'uld could still impress him. Disgust him too. And fill him with fear. But if there was one thing the System Lords knew it was the power of image.

He decided they could be impressive or silly. Morrigan looked like an over-the-top dominatrix. When one remembered she was several thousand years old and supreme ruler of a few dozen star systems she seemed more formidable.

There were eight arrayed around the room. Drinking, talking, brooding. No one sat.

His own "lord" was particularly impressive. Yu was content to circle the edge of the room, while every other lord watched him from the corners of their eyes to see what would happen. He did not take center stage. He did not need to.

But he had a role to play. And Yu was waiting for his reply. "Bastet and Kali the Destroyer." Daniel turned his attention to the two goddesses. Kali reminded him vaguely of Catwoman from the comics of his childhood, all in black and somewhat impractical. "They made a treaty with Sobek, then moved against him during the celebratory feast." Kali looked to be the most delicate of the assembled lords, in bright colors and intricate embroidery. It was hard to think of her as an avatar of death and destruction. "Sobek let his guard down." But that's what they all were. Destroyers and murderers. "Rumor has it, his head still decorates Bastet's palace in Bubastis." And cruel. Cruel beyond imagining.

"_Do not accepts gifts from Ba'al_." Yu merely glanced at the other god, leaving Daniel to look him over directly and fill in the details.

"They have a habit of exploding." He finished the thought. The lord in question was speaking quietly with another whose back was turned. "Especially when he feels he has been slighted." Both wore dark robes. The other Goa'uld would have disappeared entirely into Ba'al's tall frame had it not been for her crown of golden laurels. "He wiped out the inhabitants of two star systems, sixty-million lives, rather than losing to Sokar in a territorial dispute." He couldn't be sure who the small one was. Someone Greek, if the costume was anything to go by.

"_Poor loser_." Yu's measure pace brought the mystery goa'uld into view. Daniel worked very hard to keep his face neutral. "_Be careful with Hades_."

Hades' brow furrowed beneath her laurels. She flashed a smile that could have been for either Yu or Daniel. No matter the recipient, the gesture was bizarre.

No one else in the room was smiling.

Least of all Daniel.

* * *

"_You can't be here. You're insane_." Ba'al's eyes glittered in amusement. Or maybe something else. Hades didn't know him well enough to tell. He had been a minor—or rather miniscule—player last time she was at one of these meetings. But that was many centuries ago.

"Since when has that mattered to the System Lords?" She chose to read amusement in his expression. That was always the impression he'd given. Or at least what she remembered of him. "You've moved up."

"_That's old news._" The corner of his mouth turned up. "_To everyone who isn't a hermit_."

His insults. She liked his insults. There was sure to be many thrown at her, so she might as well enjoy a few. "Good for my health."

"_Of course. I'm sure a woman your age needs plenty of quiet._"

"Watch it, kid." He held up his hands in mock surrender. Hades decided to make it true surrender. "Miranda wants a report on the Ha'tak operating system."

Ba'al's eyes stopped glittering. He took her aside with as much force as he could politely use. "It's nearly done. And don't mention it out loud."

"Why not? She's paying you enough."

Hades knew why not. Ba'al glared at her. "Because our arrangement, while an open secret, is still a secret. It can't look like we're giving in to the Jaffa on all fronts."

"But we are."

Ba'al studied her for a moment. "_You like being a death god._"

"All things come to an end. It's what makes them bearable."

"_Some of us enjoy things._"

"I'll take your word for it." She muttered. Her face lit up. "Thanks, by the way. I'm trying to be more god-like."

"_I didn't say you were god-like._" Hades had never been god-like. That's what Ba'al remembered most about her. And yet she had been at these meetings long before he had. Why was an eternal mystery. One he thought on often. "_If you don't like it what are you doing here_?"

"I am the fig leaf covering the open secret." Hades frowned, held her breath for a moment, and finally decided to let it out on a sigh. "Does it ever bother you that everything we are is built on lies?"

"Yes." He said it to throw her off. It worked. He watched Hades puzzle over his flash of humanity. It served her right. She wasn't the only one who could rock boats.

Hades decided to leave the conversation altogether. She turned around and smiled at Yu. Genuinely smiled. It was amazing how she could do that.

* * *

Hades approached.

Daniel knew that Yu's silence was his cue to prove his knowledge of the political scene, but it took a moment for his voice and brain to communicate properly. "She is the son of your late ally, Cronus, and newly created lord of his territory. I am to offer help when not inconvenient to your own interests, my lord."

"_If she's asking for help, you are already doomed._"

"Lord Yu." Hades shook his hand. Of course she would smile for him. Ba'al didn't stand a chance of holding her attention. Yu's alliance with her father was the stuff of Goa'uld legend. Rumor had it Hades had spent time with him as a youth, and it was a known fact that she began her most recent hermitage in his territory. Plus they were the oldest people in the room.

Still, Ba'al trailed behind her.

"_While we speak informally, you may say godfather, child._" Yu's face remained stoic and his body rigid with dignity, but his tone changed ever so slightly.

Allies—true allies—were few and far between for the System Lords. They were things to be treasured. Cronus had been and ally. A close enough ally to entrust the safety of his heirs to Yu, should the need arise. It never did, but Yu still had a soft spot for his friend's eccentric son. He leaned in and spoke as low as the symbiote voice allowed. "_Use your other voice. It gives a better impression._"

"I've never been very good with impressions."

"_You'll have to once it starts_." Ba'al interjected.

"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it." Hades grinned. She flicked her eyes to Daniel. Her expression softened into reassurance. Daniel wasn't sure what she was trying to assure him of, but she looked very sincere.

"_Yu._" Ba'al inclined his head to the ancient lord. "_I am pleased you were able to join us. Given recent events. I understand your fleet suffered some heavy losses_."

"_I am not the only one_." Yu calmly countered the attack. "_Did I not hear your flagship was destroyed_?"

"_I lost two-thousand Jaffa_." Ba'al's voice was bitter. Paired with other words his tone might have been hostile, but Goa'uld did not share such tactical information lightly. It was an olive branch.

"_Such is war_." Yu gave nothing away. If he was interested in Ba'al's bid for an alliance he did not show it.

Daniel saw Hades clenched her teeth. The situation was hard for her. Then again it wasn't exactly a cake walk for him.

By a miracle sent from a power higher than those gathered in the room, Hades held her tongue. Good. Daniel did not have time for Hades' problems. For that matter he did not have time for Hades.

The symbiote poison weighed heavy at his side. He wondered if he'd miss her after she was gone.

It couldn't be helped.

"_No_." Ba'al continued. Daniel returned to the present. "_This is different. This enemy attacks like a coward._" Ba'al stole a glance at Kali and Bastet. "_Apparently Bastet and Kali have suffered similar set-backs._"Kali turned at the mention of her name, but remained where she was. "_They are becoming more frequent while the identity of the antagonist continues to elude us._"

It took Daniel a moment to unravel all the meanings in Ba'al's speeeh. In four sentences he created a common enemy, aligned himself with Yu, and pointed out that none of the other System Lords were courting Yu's favor. Only him.

Ba'al had quite the silver tongue.

But it was not silver enough for Yu. "_I'm certain you have your suspicions_."

He persevered. "_We are all suffering at the hands of this unknown adversary_. _By shrouding himself he sows discord amongst us_." Yu nodded slowly. Ba'al had finally struck a chord.

"It's working." Hades gave a small shrug. "And isn't that how it goes? Time marches on." An old melancholy settled on her. "Things change."

Ba'al replied simply. "Gods don't."

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

_Italics_ indicates symbiote voice.

This continuation was encouraged by several readers from "One Piece Left." The story will span from season 5 to season 8. I have some idea of where the plot is going, but it is much more flexible than my usual stories. It is also longer. If you have ideas or requests, no matter how wacky, please talk to me. This is an ambitious project and I may need help.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Taattosbt


	2. The Day Departing

Hades' head hurt. It wasn't the place or the company—though thinking about either too much would induce a migraine. No the dull throb in her temples was her own fault. She stopped in the hallway and nudged her wreath up to rub the flesh beneath. It was bruised.

That's what she got for trying to dress the part. Costumes, she decided, were for the stage or the costume closet.

It was barely a costume, really. More a cracking veneer. No matter what she wore she was still a mad, old hermit with no army and no planets and a surprising ability to ruin the lives of would-be enemies. But the last part was a long time ago. Most forgot it. Or ignored it.

Hades leaned against the bronze walls of the station. The architecture was sickeningly grandiose, but she liked the corridors. The walls were perfectly slanted to support a semi-reclined human body. The slant was supposed to evoke the pyramid of a Ha'tak and the might of the Goa'uld. Ultimately it was a more than usually comfy wall.

Her head lolled to the side. She listlessly surveyed the empty hall. The summit had been delayed. She had two hours to kill. If she went to her room immediately she'd have time. With two hours she could safely nurse an ounce and still be presentable during the meeting. And if she was savored it she could break into the good stuff.

Satisfied with her plan, Hades moved on.

Then paused before the next corner.

Someone had a communicator.

She could hear it click on and off softly. She stepped closer and the murmured conversation took shape.

"How's it going?" She didn't know the crackling voice coming from the radio.

"Oh, swell." But she knew that one. Daniel Jackson. "It's kinda like Goa'uld Mardi Gras in here." She chuckled at the description. Half chuckled and half sighed in relief. At least she hadn't stumbled on the intrigues of her colleagues.

He was funny, too. She readjusted her crown, only for it fall back into the same position.

The stranger spoke again. "By my count you got all seven. It's time to release the poison." She froze.

This was important.

"Yeah, we may want to hold off awhile." Never mind. Daniel would make it go away. The problem arose and he fixed it. She knew there was a reason she liked him. "Apparently they're expecting someone else."

That was it? 'Expecting someone else?' Not 'Hades is here. I'd like to say 'hi' before I poison her?'

Hades scolded at herself. What had she expected? They went drinking once. Months ago. Meanwhile the Tau'ri's war continued. Some things were more important than others.

Still. It stung.

"Who?" The crackly voice was nonplussed.

"I don't know. It seems they've got some mysterious new adversary that's been causing some pretty serious headaches." Most, she thought. Causing most of them pretty serious headaches. Mystery-lord knew enough to leave the newly formed Titanian Union alone.

Hades didn't blame him. Hades would steer clear of Miranda be she alone or accompanied by an army and a fleet of the best Ha'taks in the galaxy. Lately the latter scenario was more common. Attacking the Union meant attacking Miranda. She may not have been in the newly formed senate, but she was its most avid civilian supporter.

"That's strange." What was strange? Hades scrambled to pick up the thread of the conversation. "It's not like a Goa'uld to play it so coy." Crackly-voice state the obvious well. And often. She did not like him.

"Well, I'll see what I can find out. I'll contact you later." Daniel hung up.

That was it. In two hours he would poison her. Daniel was going to poison her. She was going to die.

She felt nothing.

That wasn't true.

She felt like she wanted to talk to Dr. Daniel Jackson.

No time like the present.

* * *

Daniel put the communicator away, turned the corner, and ran into Hades. He jumped out of his skin.

She wasn't doing anything in particular. Just standing there with an inappropriately calm look on her face. It was still a shock.

"Hey." Hades said lightly. It was as good a greeting as any.

"Hey." Daniel waited a split second before continuing. "What are you—?"

"Doing here?" Hades pointed at the floor and raised her eyebrows. It was a silly question. "I'm a System Lord. What are you doing here?" She managed to keep her voice even, but it was a struggle. Daniel hesitated. That was all she needed. "Don't tell me. I don't wanna know." She played with her hands for a moment. "How are you?"

How much had she heard? Nothing? Everything? Was she faking ignorance or had she really just come around the corner? "Good." Daniel forced the word out. Were they catching up or catching each other in a lie? Either way they were having a conversation. "I read your book."

"Great." She grinned. Then grimaced. "Like it? It won an award on Galara." Hades extricated the laurel crown from her hair. "It's a free planet out in the…" She raised the hand not holding the laurels to indicate a direction. She thought better of it. "Not here."

"Congratulations." She was exactly the way he remembered. Why was that so disturbing?

She held out the wreath. "You want it? It's half yours."

"Yeah." He said slowly. "You're supposed to do more than just change the names."

"If you want originality, be a better muse."

She looked absurd, standing there in her storm grey robe offering him a crown of laurels. The crown was the only thing making her a god. Marking her as something other than humanity. Without it she looked like a young woman wrapped in a sheet. Until he looked in her eyes. Then she didn't look young.

"No. Thank you." His hand went nervously to his pocket and brushed it lightly. The poison was still there. The poison. He had to go. "I should—." He indicated down the hallway.

"Yeah." Hades nodded and stepped aside. "If you need a break from… whatever you're doing for Yu, I've got some whiskey. We can re-live old times."

Daniel frowned. "You carry around hard liquor?"

She smiled. "How else am I supposed to survive this?" It was slightly condescending. Like explaining something to a child who is just old enough to be offended by condescension.

"That's not—." Daniel grew more and more flustered. Hades waited. "That sounds like addiction."

"Really?" She turned the sarcasm on full blast. "I call it coping."

"Hades…" None of this mattered. It should not have mattered. But he wanted her to stop. He chose his words carefully. "I'm worried—"

"You're going to kill me, Daniel."

She knew. Everything. She'd been waiting just around the corner.

It was his turn to look absurd. As lost causes go convincing a woman he was about to murder to stop drinking was pretty far gone.

Murder. It was not murder, but he did not know what else to call it. "Are you going to do anything?"

She looked him in the eye. "No." There were millennia in her eyes. Millennia of life. Of love, boredom, sorrow, hatred, joy and everything they had talked about that night. The night they toasted the pieces. "I've got to let go some time."

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

Please leave any ideas, complaints, requests etc. in the reviews. This is rather ambitious and I want to improve.

Thank you.


	3. Through Me You Pass into the City of Woe

"_This has gone on long enough. We must determine who's responsible for these attacks_." Yu took his seat. Ba'al agreed silently. The speech had gone on long enough. Watching Hades sink lower and lower in her chair could only entertain him for so long.

She put up a good show, especially for Yu, but eventually her eyes would wander. Or droop. She could not conceal boredom. Ba'al chalked it up to her prolonged absence from society.

How the mighty had fallen. Hades used to matter. She was never a System Lord, but that was the point. No planets, no army, and Hades still commanded enough respect—enough fear—to do what she wanted. To walk away.

He had admired that power once. It felt foolish now.

Yu took a breath to speak again. Ba'al beat him to it. "_The coward refuses to show himself. He only strikes with his ships. Never with ground troops_." The statement was obvious, but it prevented another lecture from the old man.

Undeterred, Yu practically shouted. "_Have any of you seen the faces of the enemy Jaffa_?"

Ba'al forced his eyes not to roll. Of course no one had. If someone had then the meeting would be superfluous. As it was they were left in the dark while the mystery lord won more and more battles.

Kali, normally so quiet, spoke up. "_I have._" Everyone sat a little straighter. Even Hades. "_When my outpost at Cerador came under assault my first prime managed to disable and board one of the enemy ships_."

"_Did you take any prisoners_?" Yu said what everyone was thinking.

Kali was ever concise. "_They fought to the death._" It seemed she was going to leave the room hanging again. After a moment she continued."_Most had been in the service of Cronus and Sokar_."

Kali glanced at Hades and the room followed her. Hades shrugged. "_We lost troops during the regime change._" Nothing out of the ordinary there. Inheritance was tricky in Goa'uld society. Hades' reluctance to inherit did not make it easier. "_Same old, same old._"

Ba'al smiled. She used her symbiote voice. Perhaps there was a little of the old Hades left after all.

No one else cared.

Kali continued. "_One wore the mark,_" She paused,"_of Olokon_."

A ripple passed through the System Lords. Olokon's grip tightened on his chair.

Yu's eyes narrowed. "_How do you explain this_?"

The room waited with bated breath. Kali smirked.

Olokon swallowed. "_One of my motherships was surrounded by the enemy._" He looked down, steeling himself. "_Instead of dying with honor, the cowards surrendered and were taken._ _They may well have switched their allegiance_."

Ba'al was incredulous. "_You expect us to believe this_?" It was quite the confession. Every Goa'uld claimed the total and unquestioning loyalty of their troops. Not all claims were true. There would be no rebel Jaffa if they were. But there were rebels. And there were deserters. No one talked about it. Inheritance was an acceptable excuse. Surrender was not.

Things were very bad indeed.

"_Well_." Hades leaned forward and grinned at him. "_Next time you're facing certain death you can lead by example._"

He glowered back. He deserved better than such insolence. He left her borders alone and kept quiet about what was really going on. How it was not Hades' boarder at all but Miranda's. Or whatever she was calling it. The Titanian Union.

Hell, he even wrote code for Miranda in return for discounts on her ships.

They weren't allies, but still...

Maybe they were allies.

He shook off the thought.

Meanwhile Olokon stormed on. "_I too have suffered at the hands of this unseen foe._" Olokon made to get up. Ba'al turned all his attention to the other lord. The rule was no weapons, but rules could be broken. He himself had a concealed blade in his scepter. "_How dare you accuse me_?" Fortunately all that came was angry words.

They held each other's gaze in the long silence. Ba'al felt the eyes of the other System Lords dart between them.

Everyone waited. No one was sure what it was they were waiting for.

The thin, human voice of Ba'al's lo'taur called out, "My lords the final guest has arrived."

That was what they were waiting for.

* * *

The conference was nerve wracking. Between waiting for the mysterious final Goa'uld and wondering if Hades was going to betray him, Daniel was more on edge than if he were in a firefight. He was used to missions becoming complicated, but this was something else.

On the bright side, he was fairly certain Hades was not going to say anything. She sat listless in her chair. From time to time she would look at him. It was an odd look. She was not trying to get his attention or communicate. She would just look. Like someone watching the seconds tick by on a clock. She was not eager. Just impatient.

She had been drinking.

"My lords the final guest has arrived."

The waiting was over.

Daniel slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the poison. All he had to do was press the button and the room would fill with gas, killing every System Lord in one fell swoop.

Killing Hades.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her lean forward, watching him intently.

It was her time. His finger covered the button.

Until the final guest arrived. His heart stopped.

"_I hope I'm not missing all the fun_." Sarah Gardner—Osiris—walked in.

Daniel kept his face blank just long enough to turn away. Sarah was there. Sarah, the scholar who corrected his translations more times than he cared to remember. Sarah, the friend who brought him coffee for weeks before finally asking him to get a cup with her. Sarah, the woman he kissed in his office at Chicago University as sunlight streamed through the windows and made a halo in her hair. Sarah, the host of Osiris.

The Goa'uld continued talking, but Daniel could not hear. Osiris would recognize him. He could not hide in corners forever. Would she reveal him? Keep his secret to use against him later? Would she kill him?

Would he kill her?

"_Jerren_." Yu called for his servant. Called for Daniel.

Daniel remained frozen. He could not breathe. Could he do it? Could he murder Sarah?

No.

He put the weapon back in his pocket, turned, and filled a cup of wine. He kept his eyes down and handed the glass to Yu.

He dragged his eyes from the floor. She was already looking at him. He met her steady gaze.

"_I think you'll find I have much to offer._" Osiris smiled. "_Shall we proceed_?"

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

_Italics_ indicates symbiote voice.

I should also mention that the main and chapter titles are derived from Dante Alighieri's _Divine Comedy_, specifically _Inferno_.

Please leave any ideas, complaints, requests etc. in the reviews. This is rather ambitious and I want to improve.

Thank you.


	4. The Deep Slumber- part 1

Hades was used to being bored with life, but this took the cake. Fortunately there wasn't much of it left.

She clung to every movement Daniel made. Shifting his weight. Blinking. Scratching his nose. Each time Hades hoped it was "the signal" and each time she was wrong. While she waited, she thought on poison.

How quick would it be? How much pain? She could not decide whether she hoped for slipping away or lingering agony. Slipping was quick and quick was good, but pain could be good too. They deserved it. She deserved it.

Oh, well. It did not matter. She did not care how she came to nothingness so long as she got there.

Then Osiris got there.

Daniel's face gave nothing away. The slightest flicker, perhaps, but Hades may have imagined it. He turned away. The seconds ticked by. Breath after breath, each meant to be the last until the next came.

He was not going to do it.

Hades sat back. Osiris gave Daniel pause. Why? Hades saw nothing out of the ordinary. Osiris was still a little fool-hardy, very eloquent, and rightfully arrogant concerning his abilities. He had a new host. A woman. Not unlike Isis' last incarnation. That would not help the rumors that Osiris had a touch of The Illness. But that never bother Osiris. He was good at dodging questions.

Yu called for Jarren. Daniel approached and filled the cup. A look passed between him and Osiris. Recognition. And for Daniel something else. The look of a man not daring to hope and hoping in despite.

Hades could have kicked herself. She was thinking like a human, equating the outside with the inside. Daniel did not know Osiris. He knew Osiris' host.

The meeting wrapped up and Daniel rushed out. Hades followed him. She was halfway across the room when Yu stopped her. "_You should choose your words more carefully._"

Hades paused. What was he talking about? Choose her words… Ba'al. Insulting Ba'al. Right. "I did. I only chose eleven. You on the other hand…"

The room was half empty, but the full half was filled with other lords. Milling about. Making deals. Giving advice. Yu kept his voice low. "_Would you rather I had surrendered the floor to Morrigan to complain of Jaffa insurgents? Neither of us need that._"

It was true. Morrigan seized every chance to dredge up the Jaffa problem. Understandable for an empire as fractured as the Celts, but a problem for the Union and its complicit neighbours.

"Well played." She conceded. She should have known. Yu was old, not stupid. And he did not waste words.

Still, he did not let the subject drop. "_Unlike you._"

"Was I that bad?"

Yu's eyes did not move, but Hades had the distinct impression that he was mentally counting all the Goa'uld in the room, listing their strengths, weaknesses, and what they preferred for breakfast. "_These things are best discussed in private_."

Hades folded. "Mine or yours?"

"_Mine_." He marched to the door and did not look back. "_I asked Jarren to prepare some tea._"

"Oh goody." Hades muttered. She caught up. "Can we talk on the way?"

Yu sighed. "_You have no patience_." He ushered her into the hall.

"I'm old enough. I demand instant gratification."

She meant it as a joke, but Yu darkened. "_Speaking of._"

"Gratification?" Hades made a last ditch attempt at light conversation.

"_Age._" They were well down the hall way now. Well out of earshot. He stopped. "_You need to be more careful because of my age._"

He walked on as if he had commented on the weather. As if he had said nothing.

It should not have surprised Hades. For one thing, she already knew he was old. For another, if Daniel did his part neither of them was going to get much older. But she denied the facts. It was what she did best. "You're not—."

Yu ran out of patience. "_Child. You know nothing of my personal troubles,_" He rounded on her, his voice harsher than she had heard it for five centuries. "_Nor should you._" It softened again. Worn out. Like him. "_Suffice it to say: your position is precarious. I will not always be there to keep you from falling._"

Again he continued his leisurely pace down the corridor. Again as if nothing had happened.

The conversation turned serious and Hades turned with it. "_What do you advise, godfather_?"

"_Ba'al_."

Yu did choose his words carefully. Hades had never been very good and keeping up decorum. She promptly dropped it. "What about him?"

Yu's voice was even and cold. "_Stupidity does not become you_."

It was Hades' turn to sigh. "His territory borders the Union. He can keep a secret given proper motivation." She blinked. "So what?" She only said it to annoy the old man. Ba'al would make an excellent ally. How to make him an ally was the problem. He was just as duplicitous, traitorous, and dangerous as all the other Goa'uld, including Hades and Yu. And he was smart which made him extra dangerous.

He knew he was not a god.

Yu slowed. "_So._" He held onto the word and searched for the next three. "_Encourage amicable relations._"

"Question." Hades did not like where this was going. She was not sure where it was going, but she did not like it. "What's in it for him?"

Hades could almost see the remnants of her godfather's patience gathering in his face. Good. He deserved it. "_To quote my First Prime, 'know thy enemy.' Ba'al is a subversive at heart_." Hades decided 'subversive' was code for 'does not believe the gods spiel.' Yu continued, stumbling slightly over his sentence. "_Your… eccentric behavior holds a certain fascination. For him._"

Hades stopped short. "You mean my illness."

"_I mean your survival in spite of it_."

It was true. Most Goa'uld touched with The Illness died young. Very young. Often by their own hands. But every now and then one slipped through.

Yu was waiting for an answer to a question he had not asked. That no one ever asked. Aloud. How did she survive?

Hades knew the answer. She survived because of Persephone.

Yu did not want that answer. So Hades said: "Luck." She was uncomfortable. "Why do you do it?"

"_What?_"

"Help." She cocked her head lightly to the side and folded her arms. "What's in it for you?"

Yu looked at her. "_You have a talent for the taboo_." He walked away.

Hades hurried to catch up. They were close to his quarters now. A few more corners. Then there would be tea, and more conversation, and Daniel. Daniel, who would hopefully come to his senses sometime soon. "Think of it this way. I want to know my enemy." Yu walked faster. The godly equivalent of stuffing his fingers in his ears and humming. "_Godfather_." That got his attention.

"_The idea is to learn without asking_." He did not slow. He did not look back.

"Impatient. Remember?" Hades pushed in front of him and blocked the hall. Their conversation was full of problems, and secrets, and uncomfortable truths. What was one more?

"_Because you are all that is left of a very great ally_."

Hades pushed him. "And Miranda?"

Yu breathed in. Nodded. "_She is an admirable leader_."

Who had not led much of anything lately. But there was nothing Hades could do about that from a space station half a galaxy from away. A station that was about to be attacked by the Tok'ra. With death looming, Hades only had to worry about but what was right in front of her. Yu was right in front of her. "And?"

"_And she was dear to him_." Yu pushed past Hades, ending the conversation whether she willed or no.

They were a stone's throw from Yu's door when Hades heard it. The soft click and static of a communicator. Daniel was there.

"Can we go to my quarters?" It came out. She did not really think. Unfortunately not thinking meant no ready excuse. Fortunately one appear. "I don't think I can face that room again without a drink." Vice always held the answer.

"_You've had too many already._"

He followed her all the same.

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

_Italics_ indicates symbiote voice.

This was originally meant to be half of a larger chapter, but I am writing too slowly. Hopefully it is mildly entertaining.

Please leave any ideas, complaints, requests etc. in the reviews. This is rather ambitious and I want to improve.

Thank you.


	5. The Deep Slumber - part 2

"Sarah's here." It was Daniel's only thought since he saw her. Saying it was a relief. She really was there.

"Sarah." Jacob paused. 'Sarah'—a name that meant so much to him—meant very little to Jacob. "You mean Osiris?" He meant Sarah. She was Sarah. Osiris was unimportant. "Did she recognize you?"

"I don't know." She had smiled. "I think so." He took a breath. He couldn't think straight. But he had to. She had recognized him. His cover was blown. But only if she said anything. "But she didn't tip her hand and I don't know why."

The door ground open behind him. Daniel whirled around. He hid the communicator behind his back like a child hiding a pilfered cookie. It was the best he could do in the seconds he had.

Osiris stalked toward him. It was Osiris. He could see that now. Little bits of Sarah shone through—the proud line of her back, the slight swing in her arms—but none of Sarah's gentleness. Only ruthless triumph. Like a cat dangling a mouse over its jaws.

"_Daniel Jackson_." His name rolled off the Goa'uld's tongue slowly, dripping venom. "_You're a rather long way from home, aren't you_?" Osiris drew a knife from under his coat. Daniel's blood ran cold. "_What are you doing here_?"

"Uh..me? Right now? Nothing." The words felt familiar. After Professor Jordan's funeral he asked Sarah if she was doing anything. She said 'No. I'm all yours.' He remembered it so clearly. Such a simple conversation. Barely anything said. But it made him wish he had never screwed up. And hope they could try again.

Remembering was useless. That was then. He was in the here and now. He had to think.

Osiris advanced, preceded by the blade. Daniel stepped back. Think. "Why? You have something in mind?" The ring.

"_Insolence._" Osiris pressed the knife to his throat. Daniel fumbled behind his back. A touch was all it would take. The ring would transfer the Reol chemical and his cover would be restored. Assuming there was enough left. Assuming he could twist the ring around in time. Assuming he did not poke himself."_Tell me what subversions you are a part of—_" It worked on Yu. Daniel prayed it would work again. "—_or I will bleed you dry_."

Osiris' knife hovered over Daniel's cheek, and his free hand grabbed his neck. Now was his chance. Osiris would forget. Daniel would be just another slave. Would Sarah forget?

Daniel grabbed Osiris' wrist.

Osiris' grip loosened. He frowned down at his hand as if it were not his own. He stepped back, staring. He did not notice Daniel at all.

Osiris looked around confused. The dagger hung forgotten in his hand. Daniel stepped back into his role.

"May I help you?"

Osiris' gaze lingered on the walls before finally focusing on Daniel. He raised the dagger again. "_Who are you_?"

"I am Lord Yu's servant." It had worked. "These are my master's quarters." It had worked, and Daniel was disappointed. It had worked on Sarah too.

But there was no time for that. Osiris was still brandishing a knife. Daniel continued. "You must have the wrong room. I've gotten lost a few times myself. These corridors all seem to look the same." Osiris looked around once more. He turned to leave.

Osiris reached the door and sheathed his dagger. This made Daniel bold. "If you don't mind my asking—" Osiris looked back, "—isn't it forbidden to bring weapons to the summit?"

He had gone too far. But he stood his ground as Osiris rounded on him. "_If you speak of it again, I promise they will be your last words_." Daniel dropped his head and bowed. Appeased, Osiris left. Daniel glared up through his lashes to watch him go. Watch Sarah go.

"Jacob!" Daniel yelled into the communicator. It was a terrible day. "Still there?"

"Yeah. What happened?" Jacob was equally short.

Daniel reminded himself they were on the same team. He ran his hand over a chest of drawers, resisting the urge to punch it. "Osiris and I kinda got in to it. But the chemical worked." The words tasted bitter.

"Why didn't you just release the poison?" Daniel was silent. The answer was clear as day. Why ask the question? Why make him say it? "Daniel?" Jacob waited.

He forced himself to respond. "Because that would kill Sarah." He would not kill her. The Tok'ra could fall, Earth could burn, and it would still be worth it. Sarah would be worth it. He just had to convince Jacob of that. "There's gotta be a way we can save her, right? You've taken symbiotes out of hosts without killing them before."

"We'd have to get her out of there first." Jacob's calm wore thin and his exhaustion showed. It seemed everything on this simple mission was falling apart.

"So?"

"Daniel," He could hear the battle for patience in Jacob's voice, "there's a bigger picture here. You have to release the poison." Sarah would die. "Do it now." He could not do that. "You know what's at stake, Daniel, no single person's life is more important." Her's was. Wasn't it?

No.

The realization left Daniel empty. When he thought— really thought—about Earth, about Sam, and Jack, and Teal'c, and Jacob waiting in the shuttle, and the Tok'ra, and all the planets and people that ever suffered under the Goa'uld: it was not worth it. Not for one person.

The communicator crackled to life again. Jacob finished the argument he had already won. "Complete your mission."

Daniel did not answer, but if he had he would have said "Yes."

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

_Italics_ indicates symbiote voice.

This was originally meant to be half of a larger chapter, but I am writing too slowly. Hopefully it is mildly entertaining.

Please leave any ideas, complaints, requests etc. in the reviews. This is rather ambitious and I want to improve.

Thank you.


	6. From the First Circle I Descended Thus

After skirting the issue for an hour, Osiris finally got to the point. "_I ask you to officially recognize my status here_."

"_What do you offer as support for your claim? For position as System Lord_?" Ba'al was genuinely curious. A rare occurance. This sort of thing was normally settled behind closed doors with back alley deals. Or rather gilt hallway deals. But Osiris had visited no one. He had something up his sleeve. Ba'al wanted to know what it was.

Osiris smiled sweetly. "_Nothing._" He paused and savored the air of expectation before continuing. Ba'al abandoned hope of a straight answer. "_I am here to represent the vote of another_." Well, at least that was something.

"_Whom do you serve_?" Yu murmured. Osiris scowled. No one liked to be reminded of their place, especially if their place was anything less than the top. Osiris got his revenge in a single word.

A name. "_Anubis_."

Ba'al jumped to his feet. "_You're lying_!" Other lords were making similar exclamations, but Ba'al's brain was racing too fast to register them. Anubis. How could Anubis be back?

He did hear Yu shout, "_He is dead_!" but not for any reason in itself. Yes, Anubis was dead. Everyone knew that. He heard Yu—or rather remembered the words—because of Hades' response.

"No. He's not."

Everyone else sat ramrod straight. Hades was perfectly still, leaning back in her chair with her eyes downcast. It was as if she had not spoken at all.

Osiris, too, remained calm, perched gracefully on the edge of his seat. But his eyes hardened. "_How would you know_?"

Hades finally looked up. She flashed a grin that turned into a grimace. "What's a dead man want with a seat here?"

The tension eased just slightly. Hades was just being Hades. Being crazy. Nothing to be done about it. And Osiris—Anubis—presented a bigger problem.

Yu trembled with rage. "_He was banished_. _Never to be allowed to return_." Very slowly, Ba'al reached for his staff and fingered the hilt of the dagger within. It was not going well.

"_That was long ago._" Osiris rose and stepped to the center of the circle, his pace measured and cold. He glared at Yu."_And only one System Lord remains from that time._" Osiris darted a glance at Hades as he said 'one.' Hades did not care. She never had. Lord or not, recognized or not, she showed up when she wanted to. But Yu cared. His eyes glowed. _"He has sent me to ask that you accept him back," _Osiris beat a stately retreat, but paused to fire his final shot. "_Or place yourselves at his mercy_."

Ba'al became uncomfortably aware that he was still standing. He opened his mouth to say something. To stop the train wreck unfolding before him.

Then Hades got up, and the words died on his lips.

Ba'al watched in horror as she crossed the room. She was walking normally, but the whole thing felt painfully slow. Hades stopped inches from Osiris. "Tell him I still remember." She whispered.

Osiris frowned in confusion.

Hades punched him.

The room exploded.

Hades and Osiris grappled on the ground. Hades grabbed Osiris' throat. Osiris clawed at Hades. He fumbled beneath his robe before finally wrenching out a knife. He swiped wildly. Hades screamed.

Ba'al drew his own blade. As did almost everyone else. But they did nothing. Just stood and stared.

Hades threw another punch. The knife spun across the floor. Osiris dove after it, but Hades scrabbled at his leg. Osiris kicked out. Again. Again.

Yu ran into the fray. As if by magic everyone began to move. Yu and his lo'taur pried Hades off of Osiris. Olokun and Kali pulled the other lord to his feet.

Bastet retrieved the knife. She offered it to Osiris. Morrigan stopped her. "_Weapons are contraband_." Morrigan was one of the few people not holding a dagger. Ba'al hastily sheathed his.

Kali, still trying to take a look at Osiris' cheek, snapped, "_Don't be ridiculous. We all have one_." Osiris pushed her off.

"_I move to adjourn_." Yu shouted over his shoulder. His lo'taur had wrestled Hades back. The two had her cornered between Yu's chair and a screen. Still they were not taking any chances.

"_Seconded_." Ba'al cried.

"Third." Hades cradled her arm and pinched the gash closed between her fingers. There was blood everywhere. Spattered on Osiris. Pooling on the floor. All of it dripping from Hades' arm. Undefeated, her gaze never left Osiris. "That a clear enough answer?" She barked.

If looks could kill. But they couldn't. Osiris settled for storming out of the room.

Yu fussed over Hades a few minutes more, killing time. When the coast was clear he dragged her down the hall, his lo'taur close behind.

The System Lords slowly broke up. Bastet and Kali took up residence in a corner, whispering urgently. Morrigan pulled Olokun aside.

Ba'al just stared down the hallway. Hades was absolutely insane.

He followed her.


	7. My Sense Reviving

Hades stretched along a couch. Her robe was hiked up on her thighs and wrapped around her forearm to staunch the bleeding. Her fingers were curled and stiff with pain. Her head tipped back and her other hand pinched her nose, which was also bleeding. The laurel crown sat discarded on the table.

She was pathetic.

"_What was that_?!" Ba'al screamed from the door. Hades peered over her broken nose at him. "_Was that some crazy-dead-girlfriend-shit_?!_ Is that what that was_?!"

Yu knelt and peeled back the fabric to examine the cut. "_Jarren, get me a healing device_."

Hades raised an eyebrow. At least that was how Ba'al interpreted her twisted expression. "Yes. That's exactly what that was."

Persephone. Everything Hades did was always for Persephone. Not for the first time Ba'al wondered what Hades knew that everyone else did not. What she felt. It was inspiring. It was terrifying.

Yu slipped on the hand device. His slave bowed and backed away.

Ba'al blinked. She was crazy. He needed her to realize that. "_You attacked a man_—"

"I think I did more than that." Yu prodded her arm. Hades winced.

"_Hold that closed_." Yu straightened his hand device and eyed the gash.

With considerable effort Hades shifted to look at him. "I can't." She jabbed her broken fingers in the general direction of her face. "My nose."

Yu was unimpressed. "_Multi-task_." Hades let go of her nose and held the cut together. Yu went to work.

"_Are you drunk_?" Maybe that was it. Maybe her other habits exaggerated the Illness. Maybe not everyone ended up like her. Ba'al did not want to end up like Hades.

"Doesn't matter." Her nose was bleeding in full force. Hades craned back her head as far as she could. It was futile.

"_You punched_—"

Hades' head snapped up. "I would have done. Exactly. The same. Thing." She stared Ba'al down.

Yu pulled Hades' hand towards him. "_Fingers._" He started the hand device again. He added under his breath, "_Learn to punch correctly_."

Ba'al's mouth hung open for a few moments. How had he ever looked up to this woman? What was he thinking? "_How can you say that_?"

"What?"

"_It 'doesn't matter'?_"

Hades seemed genuinely puzzled. "Whether I've had a few?"

" _All of it._" He remembered why. Because there was no other lord like her. That was a good thing. The universe could only take so much."_This—. This is going to be the worst war since—. Since the last time he—_" And you. Anubis and Hades. But Ba'al did not want to finish the thought. The past was the past and it ought to stay that way.

Hades never left the past. "Yes." She said it evenly and logically. As if it was the most reasonable thing in the world. As if it did not matter that she was tearing that world apart.

It made him angry. "_You plunged the entire galaxy into a war because of a nut-job obsession with a human?!_"

"_Yes._" The word hung in the air. Everything was still, save for the rise and fall of Hades' chest.

Yu reached up to heal Hades' nose. He took her chin and turned her to face him. Away from Ba'al. He was thankful for that.

Ba'al had been in many wars with many opponents. Everything from minor skirmishes to blood feuds. Wars of skill and wars of attrition. But he had never seen something like this. The all or nothing. This side or that side. He had heard about them. Even, technically, been alive for them. But never been in one.

Now he was. "_What is your plan_?"

Yu finished with Hades' mangled face. He rose and shucked off the hand device. Hades' swung her legs out and sat up. She bent forward with her elbows on her knees.

She studied the air and rubbed her palms one against he other. She came to stillness. "We kill him. Do it right this time."

"_How_?"

Hades grinned up at him. "That's the complex bit."

"_Not so complex._" Yu placed the device in a cupboard. "_We study Anubis and plan from there._"

Ba'al crossed his arms. "_Fine_." He conceded. "_What now? Right now_?"

"Why do you care?" Hades asked casually. As the silence lengthened her gaze hardened. "Do you care?" Her voice was still light. The question was not. "Are you in?"

Ba'al shifted uncomfortably. His arms fell to his sides. All or nothing. This side or that.

On one hand there was Anubis. Power and the galaxy at his fingertips, but only as a servant to another.

On the other was Hades. Madness and passion. The Illness and everything he fear and wondered at. It was enthralling. It was disgusting.

He nodded.

Hades nodded back. "Alright. Then right now you go back in there and vote yes."

Ba'al was not sure he had heard her correctly. "_What_?"

"You're our inside man."

He searched her face for a moment, lingering on the glassy sheen of her eyes. They were calm and seemingly logical. Lucid. He made a mental note. That was what sanity looked like on Hades. A cold and unremarkable shade of brown.

But maybe she was acting.

He turned and left.

* * *

Hades pushed herself to her feet. "_Sit_." Yu commanded. He stood collecting his thoughts, not looking at her. He could not look at her. Not yet.

"I've got—"

"_Sit. Down." _He ground out. Hades obeyed. Yu stepped forward. He clasped his hands tighter beneath his sleeves. "_Why did you do this?_"

Hades cocked her head in confusion. "I just answered—"

She was cautious. He did not think she was playing dumb. Either way he could hear her treading lightly. To spare his worries, he supposed. Too little, too late. "_You answered part of the question. I know why you wanted to attack him: Persephone. I want to know why you chose to._"

Yu looked up. He saw her concern mix with the humor she so often used as a shield. "Because I wanted to." She shrugged. "I have to—"

"_After your antics you do not 'have' anything. You can leave quietly or be thrown out."_ There were consequences. Even for gods. More importantly, she needed to answer the question. "_Why did you do this?"_

Hades blew out a sigh. "I don't know what you're driving at."

"_No?_"

"What do you want me to—?!" She snapped, but stopped herself. "Why do you think I did it?"

Yu looked at her. He was no coward. He would answer equal to equal. "_I think you were trying again_."

Hades mouth hung open. Her jaw worked speechless for several seconds. "Godfather…I would never…" Her words were full of care. Care for him. She would set his fears at ease. She would lie. It was not the time for that.

He held up a hand. "_But you would not do it. Osiris would do it for you._" He paused. Hades stayed silent. "_He was armed. You were not. You knew that. You did it anyway_."

"I wasn't—"

"_Good." _He did not need her excuses. He needed her to listen. "_You cannot do it, Hades. Not after this. You must finish what you started._" He watched her rub her knuckles, twisting her fingers this way and that. He waited patiently for her to find her courage. When she finally met his gaze he said, "For Persephone, if for no one else."

Hades stared.

She had listened. The satisfaction was bittersweet. "_Jarren, escort my goddaughter to her shuttle._"

He watched his bewildered lo'taur usher Hades to the door.

She did not say good-bye. Well, there would be another time.

Neither of them were dead yet.

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

_Italics_ indicates symbiote voice.

As usual, your comments, predictions, requests, and complaints are more than welcome.


	8. O Satan! Satan! - part 1

They walked in silence. The halls were empty and their footsteps were painfully loud. Daniel watched Hades from the corner of his eye. He tensed at the smallest changes. A hitch in her breath. An irregular step. Anything that could signal another outburst.

He nearly jumped when she spoke. "Thanks." He cocked his head and she went on, "for sparing us?" His silence continued. Hades rolled her lips against each other. She breathed in sharply. "That is it, right? Not just…" She waved her hands in mid-air, apparently to indicate random error, or equipment malfunction, or the general misfortune of the universe.

"No." He had intended to do it, but then there was Osiris, and Anubis, and Hades. Things got away from him. Truth be told it was the general misfortune of the universe. Hades did not need to know that. "You're welcome." He paused. "I thought you wanted—?"

"I did." Hades cut him off. Daniel was thankful. He should not have brought it up. The subject coupled with her precarious mental state... Well. Things did not need to get anymore interesting. "I want to support your choices. Good guys, and all that."

"Like in a play?" He said it, but Daniel could not tell if it was simply a joke or a test of Hades' reason.

"Exactly." Hades grinned. Daniel snorted. "No, listen: saving the day, against all odds, tragic pasts, hope, love, redemption. How is this not your team?"

She had done her research since last they met. "And you?" He asked.

"The director, of course."

"And who are you with Anubis?" Hades kept smiling, but she was not quick to answer. "He's the reason. That I didn't." He shrugged.

She nodded. "Power vacuum. Smart." She took a deep breath. "I'm a long story. With Anubis."

"You're not sober." The last time Hades opened up she'd gone hunting for her tongue in the bottom of a whiskey bottle. Daniel bet it was a habit.

"No, I am not." Hades nodded. She pressed her lips hard together, half smiling half scowling. "I don't know." Daniel watched her toss her head back. He did not mean to make eye contact, but he did. Her face fell. "Don't look at me like that."

Daniel felt his own frown deepen. He had not meant to frown. But it was right. Everything she had done. Everything she caused. Hades deserved it. "How should I? Look at you."

Hades' throat twitched. "Like that." She murmured. For a moment Daniel softened. Hades screwed up. She screwed up everything. But now she needed a helping hand. One he would offer. After all: there, but for the grace of God, went he. "Can we count on the SGC for support?"

Yu's words came floating to the top of Daniel's thoughts. "If she's asking for help, you are already doomed." He'd said it only hours before. Now there Daniel stood. Doomed.

He scrapped up his courage and spoke. "That's not my call."

Thankfully, Hades nodded. "Fair enough." She tried again. "Can the SGC avoid inconvenient rebellions and assassinations?"

Daniel jumped to the defensive. "We've never assassinated anyone." It was true. Any deaths or coups were entirely in self-defense. Or circumstances beyond their control. Most, anyway.

Hades gaped. She threw out an arm to stop him. Disbelief rolled off every word. "What do you call this?" She gestured wildly, encompassing herself, the corridor, him, and the poison at his hip.

"This…" He was at a loss, and so grasped at straws. " Isn't really the SGC."

"What are you talking about?" She put her hands on his shoulders and tugged, as if confirming his existence. "You're here."

"Yes." He stuttered. "But it's not—strictly speaking—an SGC mission."

Hades' face screwed up in exaggerated confusion. "Who—?" Her eyes widened. "You're not—." She cast a furtive glance around and took a step closer. She whispered harshly, "The guy on the communicator isn't ." Daniel shifted uncomfortably. Hades had him cornered, but if her tussle with Osiris was anything to go by Daniel could take her. He brushed off the thought. She would not fly off the handle. Probably. "Daniel?"

He glanced down at her. He knew she was self-centered, vengeful, drunken, and—more than likely—evil alien. He saw a scared young woman who was quickly losing her grasp on the situation. A girl in over her head.

Daniel took a breath and explained.

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

_Italics_ indicates symbiote voice.

As usual, your comments, predictions, requests, and complaints are more than welcome.

My apologies for the wait. Things have been very hectic. Thank you for your patience.


	9. O Satan! Satan! - part 2

"Hi."

Jacob stared down at the offered hand. He saw the lines on the palm and knuckles, the spaces between the fingers, and the pale skin spidered with blue.

"Hades."

Her hand stretched closer. Selmak recoiled before Jacob could catch him. "I know." He said, half to his symbiote and half to the goa'uld before him.

Her fingers slowly curled inward and the hand fell harmlessly to Hades' side. "Sorry." The word startled him enough to look up. Her brow was knitted. She was confused. "I don't have any idea who you are." She waited, he assumed for a reaction to her joke. She did not get one. "Then again, I'm…" She waved a finger around her temple. "So that's an excuse."

He stared. He could not see it. Whatever Daniel saw in her, he did not.

Selmak nudged him to respond. "All the Goa'uld are."

"Good point." Hades flashed a grin. "I'm the one all of them call crazy." Jacob's face remained blank. Her smile petered out.

Still, the joke emboldened him. "Is today the System Lords greatest hits?"

"Funny. Funny's good." She licked her lips and took another stab at conversation. "Didn't catch your name."

Selmak wrenched control from Jacob. "_No. You did not_." Then he retreated. One moment Jacob was shoved to the back of his own brain, the next he was at the forefront again. He was shaken.

Jacob frowned internally. He receive a simple, but heartfelt apology. 'I'm sorry,' Selamk said.

'It's been a rough day.' Jacob forgave him.

Then turned his attention back to Hades, "Jacob."

If Hades noticed his distraction, she was polite enough to pretend she had not. "Hello."

The smile that had lingered in the corners of her mouth the whole time crept over her face. She looked down to hide it. She was thinking of something. Something that Jacob had the distinct feeling was not his business.

"_What is it_?" This time Selmak gently nudged him aside. Jacob tugged at his symbiote's consciousness. Without taking his attention off Hades, Selmak muttered, 'I'm worried.'

Jacob tugged harder only to be met with print. Page upon page of print, and the memories that went along with it. Deserts, and theaters, and shock.

The book.

Last of all came a memory of Daniel, glasses sliding down his nose and hair falling in his face.

Selmak was worried the same thing would happen to him. To them.

The exchange only took a fraction of a second. By the time Hades spoke, both host and symbiote were listening. "Just thinking. Remembering..." She stared at him and through him at the same time. As if there was someone else in his place.

Jacob turned to look behind him. Or maybe Selmak did. In any case, it did not matter. Both saw the same thing: the reflections in the window. Jacob and Hades. Side by side in the distorted world of glass.

Hades was looking at Persephone.

Before Selmak could stop him, Jacob asked, "The book. Is it true?"

Selmak grabbed Jacob, trying to drag him back. It was not a struggle—nothing so violent – more a staring contest. For a moment, neither was in control.

Hades tore herself away from the specters in the mirror. "Yes. Well—" She see-sawed one hand back and forth. "True as any fiction."

Selmak's grip loosened. 'May I?'

Jacob stepped back. 'I trust you.'

Selmak smiled. 'Thank you.' He turned to Hades. "_Why don't you join us_?"

Hades snorted. "Because I'm not a terrorist." Jacob started, but Selmak kept his body neutral. "And I don't care enough."

Selmak reached for Jacob's hand and squeezed. 'Keep trusting me. Please.'

"_You cared enough to attack Osiris_."

"Extraordinary circumstances."

Jacob had had enough of this goa'uld and her riddles. Her problems. "Like what?"

"Like I'm feeling particularly crazy today." Hades shot back; all her smiles gone, replaced by stone.

Which in the blink of an eye gave way to teasing. "Really? No issues with the label?"

Jacob did have a problem, but Selmak was calm and so had the upper hand. "_That is what we are._" It was probably for the better. "_We must fight the Goa'uld. This is the only way available_."

"Hmm." Hades stared at him again. Not through him or over his shoulder this time. No, this time the goa'uld's eyes bored into him. Entranced.

He did not like it. "Did you want something?"

Her gaze softened. "To keep an eye on my muse." She stopped, but her mouth remained open for several seconds. "And to meet you."

"_And_?" The tug-of-war with Selmak was tiring and disconcerting, but not entirely without benefits. They were more connected. Or connected differently. At once united and opposed.

Hades swallowed. She tiptoed around the words. "You don't want Anubis in power either."

"Enemies of enemies are not always friends." Selmak smiled at that. The symbiote's humor rarely ran toward the vindictive, but he was warming to Jacob's thornier wit.

Hades built her sentence like a house of cards. "Yes, but enemies of enemies can be… conscious of each other's needs."

"_We do not work with the Goa'uld_." This time Jacob stepped aside gracefully. Still present— still at the forefront of their joined mind— but not leading for the moment.

A dance, Jacob realized. It was like a dance.

Selmak nodded his agreement. 'Thank you.'

Selmak was going to apologize. Jacob could tell. He cut his symbiote short, 'No need.'

Which is when Hades chose to cut in. "And we don't work with Tok'ra. Like I said: extraordinary circumstances."

They could have continued for some time. Back and forth, back and forth. Neither convincing the other.

The communicator buzzed. "Jacob?!"

He answered quickly, eager for someone else to talk to, something else to talk about, and more than a little worried about what else could go wrong. "What the hell is going on, Daniel?"

There was static. "Anubis knows the location of the Tok'ra base."

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

_Italics_ indicates symbiote voice. Apostraphes ('...') indicate dialogue between host and symbiote. I am quickly running out of ways to mark alternative methods of communication.

As usual, your comments, predictions, requests, and complaints are more than welcome.


	10. My Theme Pursuing

Ba'al paused for the first time since talking to Hades. He remembered feeling sure then that this was the right thing. Or, if not the right thing, the right move. Now, one short talk with Osiris and two council sessions later, he was not so sure.

They had adjourned again. There was a pattern to the sessions. Hours of arguments that went nowhere, then-just as the boredom became truly unbearable-Osiris would say something sensational. Then they would adjourn. Discuss in private, plot, scheme, and drink. No, Hades was gone, and with her most of the drinking.

Ba'al pulled a chair to the window. He had arranged for a room with a view just in case. Now was the case.

Osiris had announced the annihilation of the Tok'ra. On any other day that news would warrant a week long festival. Today it meant Anubis was fighting on two fronts instead of three. And if Osiris' private promises could be trusted the Tau'ri were not long for the game. No love was lost between Earth, the Tok'ra, and the Goa'uld. Still, Ba'al was willing to bet public enemies one and two would gang up on Anubis rather than go after an eccentric old lord and her even older godfather.

Ba'al could feel himself coming apart. Like a worn out seam. Unraveling. Tearing. His host and symbiote halves, normally in perfect unison, harmonized. For every note Ba'al played, Aziru was just slightly higher. Just slightly more manic. The human had not reached a full state yet, but Ba'al saw the warning signs. He had to calm down before he spiraled. That was their deal. That was what Ba'al was there for.

He rested his forehead on the glass and counted the stars.

He went too fast, lost count, and started again.

The second time he got to over five-hundred. Parts of him kept going back to the day. Things to do, things to avoid, what to tell Hades, how to contact her. He shook off the distractions as best he could, but with each new thought he felt Aziru's pitch rising.

He gave up and closed his eyes.

Aziru was brilliant. The man was a genuine genius, and programming was his specialty. Ba'al chose him for that. But Aziru needed help. He chose Ba'al for that. And the whole thing only worked if they were one person.

He could feel them slipping apart, as Ba'al—the true Ba'al. Ba'al as he thought of himself with Aziru—desperately pushed them back together.

Complete. That was the term.

He opened his eyes to see his five-hundred stars winking back at him. Hades was out there somewhere. With her crack-pot schemes and spur of the moment decisions. Her books, and her booze, and her promise. Her wordless, lived-out-promise of a life different from any other lord. True freedom. He wanted that.

He did not want the Illness. That he absolutely refused.

Aziru came down slowly, one note at a time. He rested just above Ba'al. Still harmonizing, but closer. A simple chord. A third.

He could live with that.

Yu spoke highly of tea in stressful situations. He imagined Hades would root for something stronger. Ba'al decided on tea.

"_Hannibal_." He called. Ever prompt, his lo'taur entered and bowed. "_Make some tea._"

Hannibal straightened. He hesitated for a fraction of a second before leaving. It was tiny, but Ba'al had known him to long to be blind to it. Something was troubling Hannibal too.

It was just one of those days.

* * *

Hannibal had not meant to tell Yu. He had not meant to tell anyone, even his lord. He was going to fetch more water when they ran into each other in the halls and it slipped out.

"_Where is my lo'taur, Jarren?_" If Yu had not stopped him, maybe he could have stayed silent.

"I have not seen him, your lordship." Yu turned to leave. He should have stopped there but he did not. His conversation with the other slave kept echoing through his mind.

It was not that Jarren had questioned the divinity of the Goa'uld. Everyone who was anyone knew that little secret. It was his revulsion. His horror at the prospect of blending. Everything about him was off. Hannibal was sure that Jarren was dangerous. Not just to Yu, but to all the lords.

Hannibal had to protect his master. "My lord?" Yu turned back, clearly annoyed that a slave would dare to stop him. "Forgive me. While you know I faithfully serve my master Ba'al, and therefore hear whatever I say with certain suspicion—" He chose his words carefully. "I believe it is my duty to tell you that your new lo'taur cannot be trusted."

Yu walked away without a word.

For a moment, Hannibal was disappointed. He continued on his way. He mulled over the their short encounter.

He had done the right thing. His master may have been in no state to deal with such things— Hannibal learned long ago that tea and star counting were bad signs—but someone had to be warned. In case his suspicions turned out to be true.

They may not have been gods, but the goa'uld ruled the galaxy. They were cruel, but Ba'al favored him and rewarded his loyalty. There was nothing wrong with that, in Hannibal's opinion.

And perhaps Jarren was right. Perhaps one day soon-perhaps when the summit ended-Hannibal too would be a goa'uld.

* * *

Yu quickened his pace down the hall. His new lo'taur? What was that slave talking about? Jarren had been with him for decades.

Jarren had acted strangely. Now that he thought about it. The way he kept slipping off. The way Hades looked at him from time to time. Checking in. Most of all, his actions during Hades' brawl with Osiris. Jarren practically manhandled Hades. So had Yu, but it was different. There were certain things lo'taurs did not do. Wrestling with gods was on the list.

Yu's strides lengthened again.

Something was very wrong.

The only bright-side was that Hades seemed to know what it was. But that was hardly cause for celebration. His god-daughter was not known for her strategic capabilities. She had been brilliant once, and long ago he would have trusted her to keep her secrets. Not now.

Yu had already checked his own quarters and the summit chamber. That left the shuttle.

Whatever their plan, he hoped Jarren—or whoever had taken his place—had more sense than Hades.

* * *

"Get to the shield, Daniel. Shut it down. I'm coming in." Jacob's voice was urgent, but Daniel only half listened.

He pecked at the control panel of Yu's shuttle, the communicator nearly forgotten in his right hand. "Forget that I have a new plan." He said absently.

Jacob's impatience grew. "What are you doing?"

"I'm stealing Yu's cargo ship." Daniel preempted Jacob with a question. "I can fly out from inside the shield without shutting it down, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Uh." There was no beating around the bush. Daniel braced himself for Jacob's protests. "'Cause I'm taking Osiris with me."

There was an unexpected measure of calm in Jacob's voice. "Do you have her now?" Jacob had more faith in him than he thought.

Unfortunately, Daniel had to shatter that little faith. "No. But I'm working on it."

More surprises. Hades voice floated over the line. "I'm all for flying by the seat of your pants…" Hades had said something about introducing herself, but Daniel did not think she was serious. But then Hade's favorite pastime was proving people wrong. "How clean is this going to be?"

"Honestly? I don't care."

Jacob, in his role as the voice of reason, broke in again. "Daniel, the chemical weapon you're carrying could be the only way we can stop the attack on Revanna." He, at least, was still calm and logical. It was a good thing two. After everything that had happened the old, rational, dependable Daniel was gone. Daniel had no doubt that between them, he and Hades could bring on a galactic apocalypse.

Throw in a bottle of whiskey and they could end the universe.

"Yeah and Osiris can basically lead us to Anubis." He finished the flight prep, and moved to the window. He just had to cross the shield. Once he got through it was a simple hyper-space jump to Revanna. "And you and your buddies can do your best to take the snake out and save Sarah, right?"

He could argue the tactical benefits of his choice all day, but the truth behind why he waited so long, why the System Lords were all still alive, and why he had stopped Osiris' lo'taur in the hall and asked her to bring Osiris to that shuttle was simple: Sarah.

Consternation colored Hades' words. "It's not just you and Sarah. My godfather's there. And Ba'al." Ba'al was an afterthought. One which she hastened to cover. "You get caught and interrogated what's going to happen to them?"

Hades was good, but Daniel held the trump card. "If it was Persephone, what would you do?"

"That's different."

It was not different. If it was different then Daniel would never have checked the bar that night, never sat down, and never shared his story. If it was different there would be no book. "Not so different."

The only difference was the names. Persephone. Sha're. Sarah.

"It is." Hades breathed. Daniel waited for her to prove him wrong, quite sure that this time she could not. "You are better than me."

"No. I'm not."

The pause was longer this time. Daniel scanned the stars. Jacob's ship was cloaked, but Daniel willed himself to see it. Out there Hades was floundering in her pride. Daniel wished that he could see it. See her realize that she was not the only one to have loved. That she was not the only one to feel this.

"Alright." She said. "Hold off if you can. I'm coming in." Her voice grew faint as she stepped away from the receiver. She spoke to Jacob. "Ring me back to my ship?"

"How are you going to get past the shield?" Jacob's voice was also distant, and somewhere between resigned and hysterical.

"I've still got the codes. They won't change them that quickly. Not with all the… distractions we've had today." Hades returned to her usual strategy of facing death with a smirk and madness with a laugh. To Daniel, it felt like victory. This was the Hades he remembered. The one who understood. The one whose alarming example he embraced wholeheartedly.

"What are you going to do?"

"Clean up after you."

Insanity was better with company.

* * *

When Lord Yu-Huang Shang Ti, the Jade Emperor, Ruler of Heaven, and founder of the Xia dynasty thought upon his death—often on winter nights when the wind shook the barren branches of the plum tree outside his window—he never imagined this scenario.

He never imagined entering his shuttle to see his lo'taur's doppelganger kidnapping a system lord. He never imagined striking his supposed servant so hard that the man flew into the far wall. Nor did he imagine that upon freeing Osiris the rival lord would stab him.

More fantastic still, he came to the stranger-Jarren's defense. He summed up his strength and launched himself at Osiris. Osiris stabbed him again. The fight was over quickly, but the distraction he provided was enough. Jarren escaped.

He heard more people storming in. Shouts and struggles. His vision darkened and it all faded to the background.

He did imagine Hades—his favorite death god—coming to take him away to the next life. Or to nothingness, as the case may be. Her face swam in and out of focus. He felt her grip his shoulder, shaking him—whether in hindrance or encouragement, he did not know.

It was perfect. The last of the Greeks, the last of their great alliance turned farce, and the last of system lords come to see him off.

He smiled.

It was too perfect. Too clean. All of it. And therefore it could not truly be the end.

In all his long life nothing had ever been perfect. Given enough time everything fell apart.

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

Your comments, predictions, requests, and complaints are more than welcome. Please speak up. I love to hear from you.


	11. Coward Dread Upon my Pale Cheeks

Oshu forbid gods from attending summits unaccompanied. He forbid them from going anywhere unaccompanied. Most of all he forbid them from being stabbed.

"How many votes did Anubis get?" Miranda had frowned since she arrived on the mother ship, and now her scowl fell heavily on the celestial occupants of their impromptu command center.

"Six." His lord answered.

"One's a double agent." Hades hastened to add.

"Yes. Because Ba'al is trustworthy and totally evens your odds against Anubis." Oshu internally flinched at her condescension. He wished to lecture her on respect for gods, even gods that screwed up and gods in need of a sarcophagus.

Miranda was angry and worried. He forgave her.

"It comes close." Now was the time to plan, not agonize over the past. Oshu steered the conversation towards strategy. "If we count the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra—"

Miranda shot him an icy glare. "We are not counting the Tok'ra."

"Our list of Goa'uld allies is short." Yu's speech was stony. He was trying to reason with her, but he was tired.

Miranda rounded on Yu. "How many attempts have they made on your life?"

"More than I'd like." Oshu leaned forward in his seat, throwing himself as best he could between Miranda and his lord.

"And they've killed more of her brothers than I would like."

Hades sighed. "I never like Zeus or Posidon. And neither did you."

Miranda pulled her own indignation around her like a cloak. "I didn't wish their murder."

"I didn't wish dad's." Hades' voice pitched higher as she went on the defensive. "Doesn't mean I hold a grudge."

"You hold something for Doc—"

"In any case, we need allies." Yu interrupted Miranda.

Oshu thanked him silently. The last thing they needed was a family shouting match. Hades might-yet again-turn violent if Miranda's sentence finished the way Oshu guessed it would.

When he was sure of the Greek's attention, Lord Yu continued. "The Tok'ra are an option, but one that is about to be wiped off the face of the galaxy. Unless we act."

Oshu watched Hades shift uncomfortably in her seat. Whatever her past, Hades was a terrible actor. She knew something about their prospective allies, but she wasn't going to say. Fine. Let her keep it to herself. Odds were it was not important. Gods sometimes forgot that they were not the center of the universe. And Oshu sometimes enjoyed reminding them.

Yu turned to him. "How many ships can we spare?"

"Six within a short jump of Revanna." They were back to planning, back to the realm of a first prime. Call him conservative, but Oshu preferred his traditional duties to the myriad of assignments, relationships, and crises that no one talked about. Sometimes he wondered how society functioned when most of its workings were swept under the rug.

Wrestling with appearances was Miranda's specialty. There was work to do.

"Remove the Goa'uld personal and put them on rescue." Oshu received his orders with a nod.

Miranda hesitated, but finally said, "There are three Union ships and two of my own patrolling our nearest border."

"Can you pull them?"

"No. The Senate has to clear troop movements." Miranda's voice was unnaturally even. Oshu knew that tone. She did that when she had bad news. Of course, her statement was bad news, but she normally reserved that tone for truly awful events.

Oshu debated whether to press her or not. First primes actually were the center of the universe and their secrets were life and death, but he trusted Miranda. "Can you move yours?"

"Of course, they're my property." Condescension crept back into Miranda's voice, but she banished it. "I'll make the call."

Miranda rose. Her heels clicked all the way to the door. Oshu never understood her obsession with Tau'ri culture. Well, he would have to learn. They lived in strange times indeed when Goa'uld came to the aid of humans and Tok'ra.

They waited. The silence stretched on and Oshu voiced the thought that had been nagging him since he first saw his haggard god step off the shuttle. "My lord, I prepared a sarcophagus."

In a rare show of tact, Hades became very interested in her own nails.

"After this is settled."

"Yes, my lord." Oshu acquiesced, but the second "this" could be considered "settled" he was determined to whisk the god away. Gods did not always know what was best for themselves.

Miranda took her seat again. "It's done."

"Great." Hades immediately left hers.

"The senate will renounce you." Miranda's words stopped Hades in her tracks. The old woman stared the table in front of her, lips tight and eyes hard. She looked up at Yu and Oshu. "And all of this. We can't afford it." She twisted in her chair just enough to look at her retreating god. Disappointment filled her voice. "And you should have known that."

"I—"

Oshu wasn't sure if Hades trailed off or Miranda cut her off. "You were meant to represent us. Not—." She closed her eyes and drew a sharp breath.

Oshu knew the feeling. He felt it every time Yu looked tired. He felt it for every extra hour Yu needed in the sarcophagus. He felt it in every moment of confusion Yu suffered. He felt it more and more. Any first prime worth their salt knew that gods were neither all powerful nor immortal, but that did not make watching them fall any easier. Then again Hades fell a long time ago. She was not a god.

She was a ghost.

When Miranda found her voice again she addressed Lord Yu. "I'll give whatever help I can. But as a private citizen. The Union will remain neutral"

The help of a leading weapons manufacturer was nothing to sneeze at. The help of an empire—or republic, or whatever they were calling it now—was better. She seemed firm, but Oshu tried his luck. "Anubis will come after you anyway."

"He'll come after you first." Miranda spoke with finality.

"And when we're gone?" Yu's quiet question made her falter.

Oshu kept himself from smiling. He did not know about republics, but in empires Jaffa did not dictate finality. Then again, Miranda's relationship with her god had been interesting to say the least. Perhaps she was used to final words.

"Don't go." There was pity in her eyes. And resignation.

"Well," Hades ended the stare down. "I'm off." There was not so much a spring in her step as a jerk, but she was clearly eager to be somewhere else.

"Where are you going?" He may have imagined it, but a smile tinged Miranda's exasperation.

"To see Daniel."

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

We have finished "Summit" and "Last Stand." Next up continuity wise is "Abyss." Ideas and requests are always welcome. Thank you all - Taattosbot.


	12. By a Secret Pathway We Proceed

"You have no luck with women." Hades leaned against the doorframe of Daniel's office. She was still dressed in her charcoal and ash toga. Her hair fell in a wild mess around her head. Overall, she looked the worse for the wear.

She had two glasses in one hand. In the other she clutched the red wax neck of a Maker's Mark bottle. "You changed your brand." That confirmed the SGC's suspicions concerning off-world smuggling. A very small, very internal, part of him laughed. Alien bootleggers running Kentucky bourbon.

Hades took his comment as an invitation to enter. "It's my sipping brand." She pulled up a stool across from him and cleared away the papers spread out on the table. "Today is a sipping day." She set down the glasses.

Daniel picked up the pile Hades had made. "I would think today is a don't-drink day." He buried his head in his work.

Or at least he tried to. "Seriously?" Hades rapped the table. Daniel looked up to Hades' face. She far too close to him. He jerked back. She had been craning her neck trying to make eye contact. Hades sat up. "You're going to tea-total now?"

She set the bottle between them. Daniel regarded her challenge. "You're here about Sarah."

"Yes."

"Will you write this one down?"

"No." She shifted in her seat and eyed the still unopened bottle and empty glasses. Daniel ignored the hint. "Writing is not going to help this time. Plus, people may start to wonder if I write two books about you"

"People wonder?" Daniel's brows knitted. Hades nodded. Daniel thought for a moment. It made sense, what with Earth's new found fame. Anyone who knew SG-1 would be able to read between the lines, and an ever increasing number of people knew SG-1. "You need a better muse." Someone more anonymous.

Hades reached for the bottle. "I'm looking into replacements."

"Yet you come here." Daniel gave up and threw his pen down on his notes.

Hades dug the opening tab out of the wax and unscrewed the top. "Gotta work with what you got." She grimaced. He wondered if Hades had always passed off that pained twist of her lips as a smile and he just hadn't noticed. He wondered if one day he would do the same. Maybe he already did.

Daniel covered the glasses with a hand. "I don't want to talk about Sarah." Hades rested the bottle on her knee. She held the top in her other hand and stared him down. "She's an old friend. I want to save her. I might love her."

"Concise." She screwed on the top and put the whiskey back in the no-man's-land of the table. "What do you want to talk about?"

He shrugged. "How do you know I want to talk?"

Hades called his bluff. "I'll go." She pushed herself off the stool.

"No." She sat. Daniel picked up the pen and tapped it against the table. From what he'd seen in the past twenty-four hours, Hades was a living powder keg. But he wanted to know. "Anubis. Tell me about Anubis."

"Tell you what about Anubis?" She kept her voice low.

Daniel frowned. "You punched Sarah—"

"I punched Osiris—"

He pressed on. "You punched Sarah rather than vote on his entrance to the System Lords."

"We kicked him out for a reason." Hades looked over at the far wall of bookshelves.

"What reason?" She was hiding, but he would not let her. Not after everything she'd done.

Hades stopped pretending to read the book spines. She looked down at her hands and dug circles in her palm with her thumb. "Too ambitious. Too ruthless."

Daniel brushed past the System Lord sound-bite. "And your reason?"

Hades faced him. "He killed Persephone."

Confusion flickered in Daniel's mind. He thought back to the bar and their conversation. His memory blurred as the night progressed, but he clearly remembered Hades' story. "You said you killed the man who did it."

Hades blinked. When she opened her eyes she was no longer looking at him. "I said I found him. I didn't say I killed him."

Daniel's voice wavered. "What did you do?" He ran through the possibilities in his head. Stasis jars like Osiris and Isis. Eternal imprisonment like the Goa'uld on Cimmeria.

"Something worse." A shadow fell across her face and Daniel knew it was time to drop the subject. Hades poured herself two fingers of whiskey. "Now everyone's paying for it." True to her earlier promise, she sipped it. It was a long sip.

"Don't you think you should stop." Daniel may have been pushing his luck, but they were in the middle of Stargate Command. What was Hades going to do? "After all that's happened."

She exhaled sharply. "No." Hades raised her eyebrows at him. "I think I should continue." She lifted the glass again.

"It's not healthy."

Hades smiled broadly and spoke through her teeth. "Daniel I'm over five thousand years old. I get to make my own decisions."

"Even if those decisions are… rash." Taking a leaf from Hades' book, Daniel controlled his voice. Traces of annoyance peeked through.

Hades laughed. "Rash?" In a split second she went deadly serious. "You blew your own cover and nearly got our most powerful ally killed for a woman you only might love."

Hades glowered at him. Daniel's anger flared. She had no right to judge him. "You started a galactic war avenging a woman who four millennia ago!"

Daniel only realized he was yelling when Hades roared back. "At least there's a simple explanation!"

"What's that." Daniel snapped. He was not in the mood.

"We do stupid things for the people we love."

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

As always, I welcome your reviews. If you like something, hate something, or have an idea please tell me. I would like to thank two readers for their constant feed-back. Roeskva and Tel Nok Shock, it is always a pleasure speaking to you. You guys have given me so much support and I thank you profusely.


	13. Upon the Utmost Verge of a High Bank

Ba'al fell asleep at his desk. It was a testament to the safety of his Hadad fortress. It was one of the earliest planets he acquired and very loyal. So loyal that if he could drift off over highly treasonous documents if he felt like it.

He rubbed his eyes and refocused on the blank screen. He typed in his password (again), and the one after that, and the one after that. He'd programmed the thing to lock him out after a certain period of inactivity. He learned that trick when his age was still in the triple digits. He peeled back the last layer of security and pulled up Anubis' shield schematics. Well, half a shield schematic. Maybe one eighth.

The thing was a hodge-podge of known fact, furtive scans, and educated guesses adding up to technology that did not make sense. In the real world it was beating them. Anubis' ships took twice as much fire before their shields failed. Yu was a brilliant tactician, but out-gunned was out-gunned. Come to think of it, Anubis' guns were more powerful too. Ba'al figured they would cross that bridge when they came to it. In the meantime he and Miranda scrambled to re-produce the mysterious tech.

It seemed everything Miranda was involved in came down to an arms race. Ever since Cronus had given her his shipyards Miranda had fought with threats and suggestions. She need only utter the fatal phrase "trade embargo" to stop invaders in their tracks.

Anubis did not care.

Inspiration chimed in the back of his mind. Connecting this with that might reduce the power requirements… He made a note on the screen. It was small but it was something. Hardware was not his strong suit. What little progress he made came from his Aziru half.

His eyes itched. He was on the verge of sleep when a knock came at the window. He jolted awake. Hades pressed her face to the doors of the balcony.

Ba'al hurried over. "_Did anyone see you_?" He ushered her inside and peered into the dark before shutting the doors again. It was a warm night with a chorus of insects.

"No." She tossed a data-pad on his desk. "Brought you something." She walked to his bed and sat.

There was nowhere else to sit. It was a small room. Just his desk, his chair, and the bed. The rest of his chambers were more opulent, but this was his room. He did not need to impress anyone here.

Hades' choice made him uncomfortable. It felt improper.

He picked up the pad and flipped through the first few screens. "_You couldn't send it_?" He had created an encryption for things like this. Miranda could have passed it along.

"I've gotten used to talking to someone." Hades spoke before Ba'al could look up. "Daniel Jackson is dead."

Ba'al lowered the data-pad. He turned around. "_What_?" Hades was staring at the floor. Surely he misheard her.

She raised her head. "Daniel Jackson is dead."

"_Doctor Jackson_."

"Dead."

Ba'al sat on the edge of his chair. Was that even possible? Were members of SG-1 allowed to die? If the universe loved anyone it was those four humans. Of course, he'd always hoped they would. That was what goa'uld did. They rooted against the Tau'ri. But now there was Anubis to think about. And Hade's friendship with Dr. Jackson. "I'm sorry."

"Well." Hades cleared her throat. "Tau'ri are known to do that."

"How?"

"Radiation poisoning." Her voice was flat. He could see her working to keep her face neutral as she glared out the window.

"I thought Earth had precautions—"

"He was on a mission." She dropped her head and hid behind a curtain of hair.

Ba'al shook his head. "This is unbelieveable. I never met the man and…"

"You did." She straightened. "At the summit. Yu's lo'taur."

Ba'al's eyes grew wide. "You're kidding. Yu hired—"

"No." She rubbed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair. "It's a long story."

A smile broke over Ba'al's face. "We're part of an exclusive club." He chuckled. "Gao'uld who've survived contact with SG-1."

Stony silence.

Ba'al was disappointed. He wanted to comfort her.

That was odd.

Maybe that was how alliances were formed—true ones, like Yu and Cronus. Greeks showing up in the middle of the night. Surreal conversations in the wee hours of the morning. Thoughts that lingered long after they wore out their welcome.

Well. It was what he signed up for.

And there she was. Daniel Jackson dead, and Hades came knocking at his door. Came to him to talk. As with so many events since he joined the merry band of traitors, he was not sure if it was a victory or a sign of imminent destruction.

"What's wrong?" He finally managed.

Hades swallowed. "I missed the call. They called for a sarcophagus. But I…" She blinked hard. "I was out getting that." She jerked her thumb at the data-pad.

"You didn't know."

"Does it matter?" Hades shot back. "Fighting to save a galaxy and. Ah…" She cleared her throat again. "You start running out of reasons to save it."

Reason. He always thought Hades was entirely bereft of it. But, he thought, one did not need to be sane to have a cause. To have some twisted motivation to betray everything a species stood for. Her's was love. Or the ghost of love. She was like the Orpheus she wrote about so long ago- a fragment of the divine, lost and stuck on repeat.

It wasn't much of a reason. But it was one.

What was his reason, he wondered for the umpteenth time. Defeating Anubis and taking the galaxy for himself jumped to mind. But another part of him balked at such a simple explanation. He did not have to throw in with a nut-job like Hades to accomplish that. So, why did he?

Because he wanted to.

He looked at Hades. Hunched. Moody. Small. He dropped his train of thought. If he wanted to, fine. He did not want to know the why. Not if she—or something like her—was the outcome.

Hades' back arched as she inhaled. "It's my…" She waved her hands, expecting them to finish the sentence for her.

He understood. Blame was hard to shoulder. "Where did it happen?"

Her face darkened. "Someplace." She was hiding something. He could tell. Before he could confront her she changed the subject. "That should help you with your shield problem." She gestured to the data-pad.

"Thank you."

"Don't." She pursed her lips. "There's something bigger. The Eyes."

It took Ba'al a moment to find his voice again. "_I lost mine_."

She smirked. "I heard. There were a lot of rumors." Her face went blank. She was all business. "I was hoping they were manufactured."

He had to hand it to her, Hades could turn on a dime. "_They were_." He nodded. "_I made a point of actually losing it._"

"Why?"

"_You're getting rusty, old man._" He tried to lighten the mood. He failed. "_Of the people who owned Eyes how many are still living?_"

The answer was two. Osiris and him. But Hades was not about to give ground. The most she did was raise her eyebrows. "We need it. Or we need to guarantee it will stay lost."

Given enough time, Anubis would find it. _"How many has he got?_" Ba'al asked.

"Three." Hades spread her hands. "Maybe four."

Ba'al crossed his arms. "_He's playing it close to the chest. I didn't hear anything._"

"He doesn't want to give you time to hide it." She gave him a withering look.

Ba'al shrugged. _"I can't_." He leaned toward Hades. "_It's. Really. Lost._"

"You said that." She retreated a few inches, but her voice remained flint. "Where?"

_"Nineveh. It's a wasteland._" Hades stared him down. He added, "_After Ra died I walked out in the forest and threw it away._"

"Can you find it?" Hades pressed on.

"_Maybe_." He did not want to. Those things were trouble.

She rose. "Get it before he comes knocking."

He followed, flinging an arm out just as she got to the door. "_Hades—"_ She stopped and looked up at him. He forgot his question. The glass was cool against his fingers. They stood inches apart. Hades waited stock still. Ba'al had the bizarre feeling that he was playing a game of chicken.

A question finally came to him. _"If I fail is there another one?_"

"Ra's."

All roads led to Abydos.

* * *

After she left he looked over the data-pad. It solved the shield problem as only a full blue-print could.

He spent the rest of the night tearing through the meta-data. Hades had run the file through a translation program. It took him a few hours to reverse it, and when he did it made no sense. The characters were all sharp angles and straight lines. He only recognized one in every dozen or so characters, but it was oddly familiar.

He dug through the archive until the sun came up before finding the answer. Dakara. He had seen that writing on Dakara. Not in the Goa'uld part of the temple, but the older part. The part no one visited. The part that pre-dated the Goa'uld

It was best not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

If something is wrong: tell me. If you want something to happen: tell me. If you have a theory: tell me. If you had a good day: tell me. I truly love to hear from you.

We are about to enter the (severely distorted) episode of "Abyss." Last call for suggestions.


	14. The Place Where to Descend

'I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.'

Jack O'neill awoke to a voice and a cell.

'I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.'

Prisoner. Not the best, but neither was hearing voices. He sat up. There was no one there. From one yellow wall to the other, he was the only occupant.

'I'm sorry. I'm sorry.'

And yet someone was chanting an apology. "Who's sorry?" He asked the air.

The voice returned. 'Me. Kanan. Hi.'

"And where are you, Kanan?" His patience wore thin.

'Uh.' Jack felt confusion. Not his own rather grumpy confusion, but someone else's hesitant emotion. Like a kid caught stealing cookies. 'In you.' It paused. 'You don't need to talk out loud.'

"Why not?" Jack snapped. "And what is that supposed to mean? In me?"

The voice sighed. The someone-else's-feelings faded to the background. 'What do you remember?'

"I remember the Tok'ra putting a snake in my head—"

'Yes! That's me!'

Somehow Jack knew that voice was waving. It was the strangest feeling. He looked down at his own hands. They were both resting on his knees. Not waving. And yet he felt them moving. "Stop that."

'I'm sorry.'

"You say that a lot." Jack rubbed the back of his neck. He stopped when something moved beneath his hand. Snakes. "Why are you sorry?"

'This is my fault.'

Jack closed his eyes. So much of the situation was wrong. "Which part is your fault?"

'The jail cell part.' Jack got another ghostly feeling. This time of wringing his hands. 'I know you're upset, but I was just very inspired. By you. A- And I felt awful about leaving behind Shallan—'

"Who is Shallan?"

'My contact. Mizraim's contact. Both of our contacts.' Kanan fired off his answers then fell silent. Jack felt a light bulb go on deep in his brain. 'This will help.' Kanan showed him a picture. Or rather, tried to show him a picture. To Jack it felt like someone thrust a piece of paper under his nose and expected him to read it.

He gained some mental distance and focused on the out stretched memory. He saw a man about his age with wiry black hair that greyed at his temples. The man waved just as Kanan had done earlier. "That's Mizraim?"

'My previous host. Yes.' Kanan's emotions bled through again, this time as fondness and nervous excitement.

"And Shallan—"

'Our contact in Ba'al's court. She's nice.'

Another picture floated in Jack's head. Kanan held it at a proper distance this time. He learned quickly.

The picture was of a woman with spiky blond hair and sparkling eyes. She was beaming. The feeling of affection grew stronger.

"Alright." Jack shook the picture out of his head. "So how did we end up here?"

'I was rescuing Shallan.' Kanan's warm feelings deflated. 'But I got caught.'

"Great. So when's your back-up getting here to bust us out?"

The excitement faded entirely replaced by fear. 'They're not. I did it alone.'

Jack groaned. "Why?"

'Because it's the right thing. You taught me that it's the right thing.' Jack felt Kanan reach out again. He didn't have anything this time, no memories or emotions. He was looking for something. Comfort, Jack realized.

He mentally reached back. Hope flared up in the back of his mind as Kanan smiled.

* * *

Ba'al fell through the window. Getting past his own security had been far too easy. He took consolation in the thought that he had disabled much of the technological security himself. And there was the mysterious hubbub in the woods. Sneaking back on to the base was easy when every single guard was out chasing someone else.

He shifted gingerly to his knees. He had landed on the Eye. If he were superstitious he would say it wanted revenge for being left in a forest for two centuries. He dug the stone out of his pocket. It threw red shadows across his palm. He traced the lines of his insignia carved into its surface. It was nice to hold that kind of power again.

He started from his reverie when Hannibal knocked at the door. "My lord?"

Ba'al stuffed the stone back in his pocket and scrambled to his feet. "_Speak_."

Hannibal hesitated. Normally Ba'al would invite him in, but normally Ba'al was not spattered knee-deep in mud and leaves. "We captured a Tok'ra, my lord. It was trying to escape through the chappa'ai." Hannibal paused again. Ba'al made a noncommittal grunt as he tugged off his boots. Hannibal continued. "Do you wish to interrogate him, my lord, or should I delegate the task?" Ba'al dove in a drawer for a clean pair of trousers.

He forcibly slowed his breathing as he opened the door. "_That will not be necessary. I'll do it myself."_

* * *

'Keep calm. I'll do the talking.' Jack's lips still twitched when he talked to Kanan. He preferred speaking aloud, but the arrival of Jaffa guards necessitate a crash course in mental conversations.

A wave of relief came from Kanan even as the guards marched them down the hall 'Oh, good.' Jack's vocal cords tightened. He had the urge to say something, but he did not know what or how. It took a few seconds to trace the feeling to Kanan, by which point the Tok'ra had found his voice. 'Have you done this before?'

'Sadly, yes.' Kanan fidgeted. 'I haven't.'

'Kanan,' Jack would have rubbed his eyes if he were not being dragged through a door by the guards. He settled for an internal eye-roll. 'How, exactly, did you become a Tok'ra operative?'

They entered an octagonal room. There was a platform, a table, a throne, and little else.

'My hosts were all good at espionage.' Kanan answered quickly. Jack ignored the subtle dig. He continued his mental glare until Kanan offered more. 'I stayed in the background mostly. Lent the voice. Healing. That stuff.' He trailed off.

'You never… drove?' The Jaffa marched him to the dais in the center of the room. They let go of his arms. Jack's stomach dropped as was lift from the ground and pulled to the lattice wall across from them. He dangled feet in the air, held immobile by an invisible pressure.

'Not really. Not 'til now. Sorry, again.'

'Stop it.' Kanan apologized too much. He was nervous. Jack could not blame him. They were imprisoned behind enemy lines facing painful deaths with no hope of rescue. Hell, his own anxiety was feeding the symbiote's.

That was a disturbing thought. Jack certainly did not like having someone else in his head and he could only assume Kanan felt the same. No matter how friendly the snake was, some things were not natural.

Kanan winced at the reprimand. 'That's why I was matched with you. The council thought it would be good for me.' He finished quietly. 'I'm shy.'

Rather than reply Jack concentrated on turning around. As it was he could see nothing but the screen and the darkness behind it. He pushed against the force and managed to roll over just as the guards left and a Goa'uld entered. He looked like the average megalomaniac snake— a ridiculous outfit, an arrogant spring in his step.

The only thing missing was a smirk. Instead this Goa'uld studied him intently, frowning.

Jack thought about which one he preferred, the psychopathic tyrant or the recluse rebel.

He couldn't decide.

* * *

Ba'al did not recognize the Tok'ra. He was older than he imagined. Silver haired, but fit for his age—no doubt due to the symbiote. Even the Tok'ra preferred to take and maintain healthy hosts.

The Eye bounced against his thigh as he climbed the steps. There was no time for this. He needed to call Hades, or Miranda, or Yu and get the infernal thing off the planet. But he could not afford to tip his hand. His life depended on behaving normally. On lying. But that was always the case with his species. He should have been used to it.

"_Who are you_?" He began the interrogation on auto-pilot. He perused the array of tools on the platform's table before selecting a dagger. He laid it across his palm, eyes sweeping the blade. He used the moment to marshal his thoughts. To concentrate on the task at hand.

The host was the first to speak. "You go first." He was flippant. That would not last long.

Ba'al took a seat. When he looked up he was his old self again. His lips curved up. This could be fun after all. "_You claim you do not know me_?"

"Well. Take no offense there, skippy. I'm sure you're a real hot, important Goa'uld, but I've just always been kinda out of the loop with the whole… snake thing." The host feigned ignorance. This Tok'ra was very odd. Most of them were silent to the end. If they did speak the symbiote did the talking. Very few had a sense of humor.

"_I am Ba'al_"

"That's it?" The host shrugged. "Just 'Ba'al.' As in Bocce?"

What in hell was this Tok'ra talking about? He stood and raised the blade, feeling the gravity field tug at it. "_You do not know the pain you will suffer for this impudence_."

The host did not miss a beat. "I don't know that meaning of the word." Ba'al waited. He gave the Tok'ra one last chance. It refused. "Seriously. 'Impudence.' What does that mean?"

He let go.

The dagger flew from his hand and buried itself in the Tok'ra's chest. The man stifled a scream.

"_I shall begin again._" Ba'al picked a second knife. It glinted as he turned it in his hand. "_Who are you_?"

Horror crept over Ba'al's face at the host's answer. "Colonel Jack O'neill. U.S. Airforce. Two l's in that."

The knife clattered to the ground.

Ba'al grabbed a hand device from the table, shut off the gravity field, and ran to catch the man before he hit the floor. O'neill flinched as he pulled the dagger out and activated the healing device.

"_We have a mutual friend_."

* * *

A few very confusing minutes later Jack and his captor-turned-doctor were sitting on the edge of the platform. They were several feet apart. The healing aside, Ba'al seemed intent on keeping him at arm's length. He regarded Jack warily, like a wild animal liable to bite. For his part Jack couldn't be happier with the Goa'uld's decision.

Kanan felt arm's length was too close.

"So you know Hades." Jack began.

"_Yes_."

"And…" He closed his eyes to turn over the facts in his head. "You're a double agent." Hades was not the only Goa'uld a few cards short of a deck.

"_Yes._" Ba'al pointed to him with an open palm. "_And you're Colonel O'neill, leader of SG-1."_

Jack fought Kanan's desire to cringe. "Yes."

Ba'al nodded. "_And, Kannan, a Tok'ra spy."_

"_And unlucky rescuer."_ Jack was not sure what happened. His mouth moved and a voice came out, but it was not his. Kanan scuttled back to his corner of Jack's head.

'Kanan. Don't do that.' He growled.

'Sorry.'

When Jack came back to the real world Ba'al was staring at him perplexed. "_I was getting there._ _You—_" Ba'al paused for a moment. He took a deep breath._ "Know Shallan_."

Kanan blushed. Jack felt him shuffle through a few memories and tactfully turned a blind mind. He moved the conversation along. "Yes."

Ba'al crossed his arms. "_And we all… want similar things_?" He broke off, utterly stunned.

Kanan squirmed.

Jack thought the universe was telling a joke. A human, a Goa'uld, and a Tok'ra walk into a torture chamber…

* * *

The world and characters depicted in this story belong to Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, Brad Wright, and the Sci-Fi Channel. No profit is made off their use herein.

Many thanks to Roeskva who inspired Kanan. Any Tok'ra fans should definitely look into Roeskva's stories.

As usual, all comments are welcome and thank you all for your support.


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